Full Moon
by knittingknots
Summary: Post Manga. One full moon's night, InuYasha and Kagome have to make a decision


_I do not own InuYasha or any of the characters created by Rumiko Takahashi_

**Full Moon**

July's full moon rose over the mountains in the distance. InuYasha shivered as it rose, his triangular ears upright and erect, as the pale light glinted in his eyes, cast highlights in his silver hair.

It always affected him, this night when his youkai blood was the strongest and his human blood the weakest. He could never sleep much on full moon nights. The night would call to him, teasing him out to run, to fly, to be what he was at least in part - a magical being, child of the forest. For the first three months of his marriage, he had not felt its call quite so strongly, nestled in the four walls of his house, away from the whisper of the woodlands, safe beneath the roof and lamplit shadows, wrapped up in Kagome's arms and aura. Tonight, though, they were camped in the forest, in the mountains between two villages, a place where the trees stood tall against the night sky and water cascaded down rock faces, and the touch of humankind light and easily forgotten. Tonight, his blood felt the undeniable call of the moon, growing louder as the darkness deepened.

He sat, unmoving, his back to the fire and those little marks of civilization they had brought with them, scenting the trees and earth and water and rock, the magic of where he was at. It was a kami-touched place, and the magic of the land was strong, responding to the moonlight. He let his mind wander along its currents, feeling the ancient pull. He had the urge to hunt, to feel his prey's reaction to being stalked, to know the feel of the kill. He had the desire to feel the wind in his hair as he ran the midnight paths. And yet, he merely sat.

The wind shifted, bringing with it the touch of her fragrance. He could hear her as she moved by the fire behind him, the sweet scent that meant more to him than any other perfume, overriding the smell of the fire and the earth and the trees. Tonight, as he sat there, her fragrance captured him even more than usual. He breathed deeply, letting it wrap around him like a fine cloth of silk, soothing and stimulating at the same time. The need to run, to hunt, began to change, to settle into something else. Flickers of want stirred in him fed by her scent, and he knew at that moment that tonight his control would be a flimsy thing at best. For a brief moment, he contemplated running into the night, away from the feelings stirring within him, but then he heard the rustle of fabric behind him, felt the gentle touch of her hand upon his shoulder, the gentling presence of her aura caressing his youki, and knew he was lost.

"Kagome," he said softly, still not turning to meet her. He reached up and clasped the hand that touched him. The skin of her hand was warm and soft beneath his touch.

"InuYasha," she replied, leaning against him. His breath quickened at her touch. "I felt your youki flare. Is it the full moon?"

"Yeah," he said. "And this place, maybe." His voice was rough, deeper than usual.

Still sitting behind him, she pressed her cheek against his neck, wrapped her arms around him. "Ah," she said.

Suddenly he turned around, looked her in the eyes, almost nose to nose. His eyes picking up light from the fire, glowed eerily in the darkness. Shadows hid much of his face except for his forehead and cheeks and nose. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up at the touch of his youki, from the intensity of his stare.

"There's not a lot of human in you tonight, is there?" she asked.

"No. Does it frighten you?" he said, running the back of a finger gently over her lips.

"No," she replied. Her scent agreed with her words, but he could feel her aura rising, trying to soothe his youki. He could feel them twisting around each other, a slow sensuous dance that made him quiver inside.

She lifted up a hand and ran her fingers lightly over his cheek, dropping her gaze from his eyes to her hand. As she brushed his skin, feather light, he whined very softly. Slowly, she ran her fingers past his cheek through his hair and up to his ear, where she ran delicate fingers along its base and gently along the outer edge. He leaned into the touch, closed his eyes.

"Are you frightened?" she asked.

"Y...yeah," he said. "What if -"

She placed a finger over his lips. "Do you want me?"

"More than anything," he said, taking her hand in his. "But if we do, there WILL be a child."

Her blue-grey eyes searched his. "Would us making a child be such a bad thing?"

"Koibito," he breathed, crushing her to him. His mouth devoured hers, hungry for her taste.

When they broke for air, she took one of his hands in hers, tugging him up as she stood. "Then come to bed, beloved," she said. " We'll give the full moon something to remember."


End file.
